Mary alice thompson and ralph p



March 31. 1925. 1,531,358

M. A. THOMPSON ET AL TIME FILE Filed April 16, 1924 Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STATES PTENT OFRECE.

MARY ALICE THOMPSON AND RALPH l. THOMPSON, OF PRINCESS ANNE, MARYLAND'.

TIME iiILE.

Application filed April 16, 1924.

T 0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, Many ALICE THOMP- soN and RALPH P. THOMPSON, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Princess Anne, in the county of Somerset and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time Files, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to tiling devices, and especially to apparatus for filing memoranda that is to be brought to the attention at some future time. More particularly, the apparatus may be denominated as a time tile from the fact that through its operation the tiled memoranda are brought forth and rendered accessible at a predetermined time, automatically, and without any mental effort or the necessity of making a search of the files.

A very important object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device of the character referred to which may be considered as functioning auxiliary to the memory to such an extentl that said device renders it entirely unnecessary for the memory to recall the time when any particular paper is to be consulted, or, in other words, the invention accomplishes by mechanical means what would otherwise devolve upon the memory. Viewed from a different aspect, the invention has for its object to provide a tiling system that saves mental effort, conserves energy, eliminates worry, and may be extended to many uses.

With a view to the accomplishment-of the above and other important objects the invention comprises a manually operable device provided with a plurality of file holders, separated at intervals, a single point of discharge'for the contents of said tile holders, and a system of numerals by mea-ns of which the contents of the several file holders may be brought each at a predetermined time to the point of discharge. By the means described, a paper may be deposited in one of the file holding devices with the object of having the paper brought to the attention of the operator at a predetermined time in the future, as, for example, six days from the time that it is deposited. By manipulation of the apparatus, step by step, at stated inervals, the paper so deposited will be automatically brought to the point of discharge, and may be extracted on the date for Serial No. 707,012.

radial slits or openings 16 which constitute l the openings through which the papers are inserted as they are tiled in the compartments of the movable liling device enclosed within the casing. The side 12 of the casing is provided with a discharge opening 18, F'

which may be of circular form and is of a size. suliicient to enable the thumb and finger of the operator to be inserted for extracting the papers as they are successively brought into position opposite such discharge opening.

The inlet openings 16 are as shown numbered consecutively from 1 to 7 inclusive around the cover of the casing, in a clockwise direction. Such openings are spaced '5 equal distances apart, from` 1 to 7, but the space separating the opening marked 7 and the opening marked 1 is twice as great as the space separating any other two adjacent openings, and at a point half way between the openings 1 and 7 the discharge opening A18 is located.` the point of such discharge being` indicated by zero.

A step 20 is secured centrally within the casing to the bottom 14 thereof, and seated in a suitable bearing in this step is a shaft 22. This shaft is provided with a flange 24 and the shaft extends centrally through a hollow drum 26 which is supported upon the fiange, and is provided at the top with a recess 27. The shaft 22 is provided with a screw thread 28 which is engaged by a clamping nut 29 for firmly seating the drum against the flange 24. The tile holders 28, in any number predetermined, consist each of parallel side members open at the top, and open discharge ends, lwhich latter are preferably curved as shown at 30 for exposing the outer ends of the cards or memoranda, in order that the same may be grasped llt) to could be made for performing the saine operations, without departing from the priuciples of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a tiling device, a stationary member provided with a series of equally spaced inlet openings, a file holder adapted to travel in a path in one direction and to be brought successively in receiving positions relatively to said openings, identifying means 'tor the successive positions of liiing along the path at which the holder travels, and a discharge opening for the lile records, the lile holder being constrained for movement in a reverse direction to that in which the several filing positions are numbered.

2. In a tiling device, a series of movable iile holders spaced at even distances trom each other and supported for movement in an endless path, stationary numbered positions along said path at which said lile holders are brought successively to a state of rest, the numbers oi said stationary positions being arranged in inverse order to the direction of travel oi' said Aiile holders, thereby causing each tile holder to pass successively irom a position of higher number to that ot a lower number, means ati'ording access to each tile holder at each numbered position ior the purpose otl depositing` the articles to be filed, a common discharge i'or the lilo holder located at the zero position of said stationary numbered positions, and manual means for moving said file holders.

3. In a filingdevice, the combination ot a casing provided with a series ot spaced inlet openings which are numbered consecutively, a discharge opening in said casing located mid-way between two ot said adjacent openings, a plurality of file holders supported for rotation within said casing and spaced apart distances equal to the spaces between the first-named openings and arranged to be brought successively in receiving positions relatively to said openings, and the discharge opening and each adjacent inlet opening, and means to constrain the rotation oi said tile holders to a direction reverse to that in which said first-named openings are numbered.

Ll. In a liling device, a casing having a plurality of inlet openings which are numbered consecutively in a 4given direction circumferentially oi" said casing, and a discharge opening in said casing positioned an equal distance troni each adjacent inlet opening, a rotatively supported means having a plurality of tile holders spaced apart distances corresponding to the spaces bctween the inlet openings of the casin g, means for retaining said devices in successive positions of rest with the file holders in register with said inlet openings, and means for con` straining the rotation ot said holders to a direction reverse to that in which the numerals denoting said inlet openings are consecutively arranged.

5. In a tiling device, the combination of a structure containing a radial series ot slots constituting inlet openings and an opening' in its side wall constituting a discharge opening, said discharge and inlet openings being numbered consecutively, oi a series of traveling receptacles adapted to pass and repass said numbers in a direction opposite to the numerical order ot' said members, means for retaining said receptacles in successive positions ot rest in register with said inlet openings, and a manually operated mechanism adapted to permit motion to be applied to said traveling receptacles in one direction to thereby cause the said receptacles to pass from one number to a lower number at each complete operation of said mechanism, and a common discharge opening for said traveling receptacles indicated by the zero position of said numbers.

6. In a tiling device, a stationary member adapted to support a series ot movable ile holders, a series oi"l movable lile holders adapted to travel in an endless path, marked positions along raid path at which said movable holders are brought to rest, means ol` withdrawal for the contents of the movable holders occurring at one of the said rest positions, means of access for the depositing of the articles to be tiled at all other marked positions, and a mechanical means of moving the tile holders successively from one mai-lied position to the next in their travel in the endless path.

In testimony Whereot` they have hereunto set their hands this 12th day of April, A. D. 1924.-.

MARY AL] CIG THGMISON. RALPH I. 'lHUii/iPSON. 

